Mitch’s Picks: Now it gets serious

The playoffs are here and we all know what that means – the stakes are higher, there’s no room for error and the picks get easier.

How’s that?

For 10 weeks we’re trying to simply get a handle on the 200 or so Bay Area squads. Now it’s easy (cough-cough).

It’s 80 percent or bust.

Instead of the usual 10 games, we’ll go 20.

After closing with an 8-2 week, we ended the regular season 58-32. That was after starting the season 8-12.

SAN FRANCISCO SECTION

Semifinals

No. 4 Mission (5-5) vs. No. 1 Lowell (9-1), at Kezar, 4 p.m. Friday. Note, if rain the game will be at Lowell at 2:15 p.m.

Prediction: A wet field would help Lowell, but the regular-season champs will persevere anyway. LOWELL 22, MISSION 19.

No. 3 Balboa (5-5) vs. No. 2 Lincoln (8-2), at Kezar, 7 p.m. Friday. Note, if rain the game will be at Lincoln at 2:15 p.m.

Prediction: The first showdown was one of the Bay Area’s top games, a 38-32 Lincoln victory. Both teams lost by a single point to Lowell. If we could pick a tie we would, but they’ll play until someone advances. LINCOLN 27, BALBOA 26.

OAKLAND SECTION

No. 3 Skyline (4-6) at No. 2 Castlemont (8-2), 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Prediction: Castlemont is after its first-ever Silver Game appearance. That’s a lot of pressure. SKYLINE 14, CASTLEMONT 13.

Prediction: Clayton wants to redeem itself from lackluster regular-season finale against Deer Valley. Irvington wants to send longtime and popular head coach Bob Spain – who will coach next year at new Dublin school Daugherty – off with a bang. IRVINGTON 28, CLAYTON VALLEY 24.